The first night of South Haven’s GridLife Festival at Gingerman Raceway kicked off a month boasting more than a dozen music festivals across Michigan. Our recap and a listing of those festivals.
Summer Festival Frolicking: The late-night scene at South Haven’s GridLife Festival on Friday. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
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Drift, dance, repeat.
It rolled out as the perfect mix of musical fandom and fast cars. GridLife Festival at Gingerman Raceway outside South Haven unfurled Friday with positivity and infectious energy.
Friday’s lineup featured live music from several different DJ’s and EDM artists including Matty Cants, Dino Munaco, Qlank, Okay Jake, Super Future, Rossy, Dr. Fresch and Levity.
The Crowd: It was an enthusiastic throng at GridLife. (Photo/Veronica Ann Dearborn)
But GridLife boasted much more than that, with people riding the festival site on everything from scooters to dirt bikes to a La-Z-Boy-style chair. Attendees danced to their favorite DJs, grabbed merch or food from the festival’s vendors and caught videos of the lightning fast cars drifting on the raceway..
Qlank’s early evening set lit up the arriving crowd with great audience engagement, leaving fans nodding their heads and smiling. The throng grew larger for the sets that followed: Okay Jake, Super Future, Rossy, Dr. Fresch and Levity, with Okay bringing unwavering energy and excitement that that hyped the crowd with a summery vibe.
“I think it’s the camaraderie that we have between the music scene and the car scene,” said one attendee, Darrius. “We incorporate families and anybody who wants to be involved.”
The festival continues Saturday with live music from Inv3rt3d, Veronica Eileen, Qurl, Flats Stanley, Dennett, CHYL, Layz, Nightmre and headlining artist Sullivan King. Get details and tickets online here.
PHOTO GALLERY: GridLife Day 1 by Veronica Ann Dearborn
PHOTO GALLERY: GridLife Day 1 by Eric Stoike
June means the first major flurry of festivals; more than a dozen of them with several previewed below. View them all in our festival guide: https://localspins.com/michigan-music-festivals-2025-the-list-local-spins/
VIDEO: Local Spins Festival Roundup on EightWest
THIS WEEKEND – GridLife Festival at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven, starring Sullivan King, Nghtmre, Layz and more, continuing Saturday (June 7).
Story: https://localspins.com/gridlife-festival-turning-ignition-on-sound-and-speed-to-electrify-south-haven-this-weekend-local-spins/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbkkzIRD9Ks&t=1s
Also: Hippie Fest (Trufant) and Michigan FunkFest (Lansing)
JUNE 12-15 – Buttermilk Jamboree at Circle Pines Center in Delton, starring Mucca Pazza, Laura Rain & The Caesars, Cabildo, Jordan Hamilton and more, Friday-Sunday.
Website: https://circlepinescenter.org/music-festival/#details
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk7zHFKzPeI&t=49s
Rock the Country at Barry County Expo Center in Hastings, starring Kid Rock, Nickelback, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Travis Tritt, Big & Rich, Friday-Saturday
Website: https://rockthecountry.com/hastings-mi/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASW-GVkO6O0
Nor-East’R Music & Art Festival at Oscoda County Fairgrounds in Mio, starring Jill Jack, The Schrock Brothers, Erin Zindle & The Ragbirds, The Whiskey Charmers and more, Fri-Sun.
Website: https://www.noreastrfest.org/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A_oRLBYmgw
Also: Jackson Blues Festival (Jackson)
JUNE 17-22 – Electric Forest at Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, starring Sara Landry, Vintage Culture, Tiesto, Louis the Child, Zeds Dead, Disclosure, Khruangbin, String Cheese Incident, Thursday-Sunday
Website: https://www.electricforest.com/
Videos: https://youtu.be/b55SdCK92MI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E-HGA0nbDA&t=55s
Charlotte Bluegrass Festival at Eaton County Fairgrounds in Charlotte: The big news is Billy Strings is performing on Thursday. Other acts: Appalachian Roadshow, Volume Five, Edgar Loudermilk Band, David Mayfield Parade, Thursday-Saturday
Website: https://charlottebluegrassfestival.com/
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_5y2t72eLE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tycUxIXkFc
Also: Holland Celtic Festival (Holland), Sol of the Lost Tamarack (Wolverine), Oddly Specific Gathering (Cement City) and Tie Dye Festival (Howard City)
JUNE 27-29 – Smiling Acres Music Festival at Smiling Acres outside Trufant, starring May Erlewine, The Go Rounds, Jason Singer of Michigander, Roosevelt Diggs, Desmond Jones, Mark Lavengood and many more, Friday-Sunday.
Website: https://smilingacresfestival.com/
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-f581oNd1Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4QTz78gMko
The complete Michigan Music Festival 2025 Guide.
Copyright 2025, Spins on Music LLC
